Gripping mechanism



1932. H. FANKBONER GRIPPING MECHANIS" Filed J ne 13, 1929 IN V EN TOR.

Patented Feb. 2, 1932 "UNITED STATES P TE oFFi O NER, OF G HTCAGO, I IILLINOI S, ASSIGIiTOR TO GO SSi "PFINTIITG i PRESS QOMFANY,A CORPORATION ILLINOIS I-IARLAND IFANKB G mma. MECHANISM Application filed. June 13,

The present invention relates to novel and useful improvements in grippermechanism and more particularly gripper mechanism for the cylinders of printing presses.

Objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part hereinafter and in part will be obvious herefrom, or may be learned by practice with the invention, the same being realized and attained by means of the instrumentalitie-s and combinations pointed out in the appended claims. 7

The inventionin the novel parts, construction, arrangements, combinations and improvements is herein shown and described.

The accompanying drawings, referred to herein and constituting a part hereof, illustrate one embodiment of the invention, and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. 5 Of the drawings Fig. 1 is a fragmentary, vertical section through a cylinder to which the improved gripper mechanism is applied.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary elevational view taken in the plane of line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section taken onthe line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

The invention is directed to providing an improved gripper mechanism in connection with the cylinders of printing presses by means of which a sheet, fed to the cylinder, may be gripped with substantially uniform pressure by all the grippers on the cylinder without nicely adjusting the grippers on their supporting shaft. The invention is further directed to provide a gripper mechanism 7 in which the difficulties heretofore caused by the torsional movement of the gripper supporting and actuating shaft are substantially eliminated. The present invention also provides a gripper mechanism which will grip the sheet or sheets fed to it with substantially uniform pressure regardless of the number of sheets fed to the cylinder. 7

Heretofore it has been customaryto employ a relatively stiff and rigid gripper finger cooperating with a solid relatively rigid gripper pad on the cylinder. With this construction, however,-as the grippers are turned to grip the sheet or sheets fed to the cylinder between them and the surface'of the-cylinder end 20 to fit over the 'bolts'l'S and beheld h 192e, Serial 110,370,618.

the supporting and actuating shaft is Isub- I jected to torsional strains which causes the grippers to be displaced relative to eachother." Generally eight orten' such gripper fingers; are mounted on each shaft and it is very diflicult to adjust these grippers so that they Will simultaneously grip the sheet. Also, once the grippers have been so adjusted, they get out of adjustment in a very short'time, thereby causing some of the gripper fingers to bear very hardagainst the cylinder whilev others of the fingers do not touchfthe cylinderQ These and other difliculties are; avoided 'by the present invention." v

It will be understood that-the foregoing general description and the following detailed descriptionas well,- are 'exemplary'and explanatory of the invention but are notrestrictivethereof- Referring now in detail to the present preferred embodiment'of the invention, the gripper mechanism is shown as applied to, and used in connection with a printing press cylinder 10, in the gap which is provided an operating shaft 11 for the gripper fingers.

As embodied, the gr pper mechanisnicom-' 11 prises a plurality ofresilient gripper fingers 13 mounted. on the actuating andfsupportf ing shaft 11, by means of which they are moved to grip a sheet, or-group of sheets 14,"

10. Preferably, each of the fingers 13 is formed of a'relatively thin, flat spring and at its 'outer end l6 is bent substantially in conformity with the shape of the cylinder 10. Means are provided for mounting and sup- I porting the gripper fingers on the actuating shaft and, as embodied, split collars l'Zarefspaced along the actuating shaft 11' and clamped thereonby meansof bolts iii-which can be tightened to firmly'clamp the collars on the shaft. The fingers are curved around the collars 17 at rear portion of the fingers and are provided with "a hole at their" inner 'f fast to the collar by means of bolthe'ads 21 By thus securing thefingers. at their rear, or

inner, ends and bending them around the co'liars,-a relatively longifin er having ahigh': 5 degree of resiliencycan be provlded w1th-.-

out making the gripper mechanism abnormally bulky. Each of the resilient fingers 13 is preferably supported by a separate collar 17 and by loosening the bolts 18, the collars can be turned on the shaft 11, thereby moving the fingers 13 with them. In this manner all the fingers can be adjusted to simultaneously grip the sheet on the cylinder. In case the fingers do not simultaneously grip the sheet on the cylinder, the fingers first to grip the sheet will yield and allow the remaining fingers to press on the sheet thereby firmly holding it.

Means are provided for initially tensioning the fingers, thereby allowing each of the resilientfingers to exert a relatively heavy pressure on the sheet as soon as the fingers touch the sheet, and these means comprise stops for preventing free movement of the fingers 13 when they are not in contact with the sheets on the cylinder. As embodied, collars 17 are formed with channels 23 substantially diametrically opposite the fingersecuring bolt heads 21, and a pin 24 is held in the sides 25 of each channel 2-3, thereby retaining the resilient fingers under thedesired degree of tension and within its proper channel, and at the same time allowing, to a considerable degree, a further tensioning of the resilient fingers as they are pressed against the sheet on the cylinder.

The gripper fingers are preferably adjusted for normal operation, as shown in Figure 1, so that in sheet-gripping position each of the fingers 13 will be slightly spaced from the retaining pins 24, giving a substantially uniform' tension for a wide variation in thickness of the group of sheets carried on the cylinder.

The invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific mechanisms shown and described but departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the accompanying claims without departing from the prin ciples of the invention and without sacrificing its chief advantages.

What I claim is 1. In combination, a cylinder, and a sheet gripping device mounted thereon, and comprising a shaft journaled in the cylinder, a

long flexible gripper mounted on the shaft and extending past the shaft to gripping position for a sheet on the cylinder, and means mounted on the shaft'but spaced apart from the gripper finger mounting for imposing initial tension on the gripper finger.

2. In combination, a cylinder, and'a sheet gripping device mounted thereon, and comprising a shaft journaled in the'cylinder, a long flexible gripper mounted on the shaft and extending past the shaft to gripping position'for a sheet on the cylinder, and means mounted on the opposite side of the shaft from the gripper finger mounting for placing the gripperfinger under initial tension.

gripper finger, means for imposing an intial tension on the gripper finger, a collar rotatable about and fixable to the shaft Whereby the final tension of the gripper finger against the cylinder may be varied by rotation of the collar about the shaft.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

HARLAND' FANKBONER. 

